The Philippine Declaration of Independence

ACT OF PROCLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE

(Acta de la proclamación de la independencia del pueblo Filipino)

In the town of Cavite-Viejo, Province of Cavite, this 12th day of June 1898:

BEFORE ME, Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, War Counsellor and Special Delegate
designated to proclaim and solemnize this Declaration of Independence by the Dictatorial
Government of the Philippines, pursuant to, and by virtue of, a Decree issued by the
Egregious Dictator Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy,

The undersigned assemblage of military chiefs and others of the army who could not
attend, as well as the representatives of the various towns,

Taking into account the fact that the people of this country are already tired of
bearing the ominous yoke of Spanish domination,

Because of arbitrary arrests and abuses of the Civil Guards who cause deaths in
connivance with and even under the express orders of their superior officers who at times
would order the shooting of those placed under arrest under the pretext that they attempted
to escape in violation of known Rules and Regulations, which abuses were left unpunished,
and because of unjust deportations of illustrious Filipinos, especially those decreed by
General Blanco at the instigation of the Archbishop and the friars interested in keeping them
in ignorance for egoistic and selfish ends, which deportations were carried out through
processes more execrable than those of the Inquisition which every civilized nation
repudiates as a trial without hearing,

Had resolved to start a revolution in August 1896 in order to regain the

independence and sovereignty of which the people had been deprived by Spain through
Governor Miguel López de Legazpi who, continuing the course followed by his predecessor
Ferdinand Magellan who landed on the shores of Cebu and occupied said Island by means
of a Pact of Friendship with Chief Tupas, although he was killed in battle that took place in
said shores to which battle he was provoked by Chief Kalipulako of Mactan who suspected
his evil designs, landed on the Island of Bohol by entering also into a Blood Compact with its
Chief Sikatuna, with the purpose of later taking by force the Island of Cebu, and because his
successor Tupas did not allow him to occupy it, he went to Manila, the capital, winning
likewise the friendship of its Chiefs Soliman and Lakandula, later taking possession of the
city and the whole Archipelago in the name of Spain by virtue of an order of King Philip II,
and with these historical precedents and because in international law the prescription
established by law to legalize the vicious acquisition of private property is not recognized, the
legitimacy of such revolution can not be put in doubt which was calmed but not completely
stifled by the pacification proposed by Don Pedro A. Paterno with Don Emilio Aguinaldo as
President of the Republic established in Biak-na-Bato and accepted by Governor-General
Don Fernando Primo de Rivera under terms, both written and oral, among them being a
general amnesty for all deported and convicted persons; that by reason of the non-fulfillment
of some of the terms, after the destruction of the Spanish Squadron by the North American
Navy, and bombardment of the plaza of Cavite, Don Emilio Aguinaldo returned in order to
initiate a new revolution and no sooner had he given the order to rise on the 31st of last
month when several towns anticipating the revolution, rose in revolt on the 28th, such that a
Spanish contingent of 178 men, between Imus and Cavite-Viejo, under the command of a
major of the Marine Infantry capitulated, the revolutionary movement spreading like wild fire
to other towns of Cavite and the other provinces of Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas, Bulacan,
Laguna, and Morong, some of them with seaports and such was the success of the victory of
our arms, truly marvelous and without equal in the history of colonial revolutions that in the
first mentioned province only the Detachments in Naic and Indang remained to surrender; in
the second, all Detachments had been wiped out; in the third, the resistance of the Spanish
forces was localized in the town of San Fernando where the greater part of them are
concentrated, the remainder in Macabebe, Sexmoan, and Guagua; in the fourth, in the town
of Lipa; in the fifth, in the capital and in Calumpit; and in the last two remaining provinces,
only in their respective capitals, and the city of Manila will soon be besieged by our forces as
well as the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, Zambales, and some
others in the Visayas where the revolution at the time of the pacification and others even
before, so that the independence of our country and the revindication of our sovereignty is
assured.

And having as witness to the rectitude of our intentions the Supreme Judge of the
Universe, and under the protection of the Powerful and Humanitarian Nation, the United
States of America, we do hereby proclaim and declare solemnly in the name and by authority
of the people of these Philippine Islands,

That they are and have the right to be free and independent; that they have ceased
to have any allegiance to the Crown of Spain; that all political ties between them are and
should be completely severed and annulled; and that, like other free and independent
States, they enjoy the full power to make War and Peace, conclude commercial treaties,
enter into alliances, regulate commerce, and do all other acts and things which an
Independent State has a right to do,

And imbued with firm confidence in Divine Providence, we hereby mutually bind

ourselves to support this Declaration with our lives, our fortunes, and with our most sacred
possession, our Honor.
 We recognize, approve, and ratify, with all the orders emanating from the same, the
Dictatorship established by Don Emilio Aguinaldo whom we revere as the Supreme Head of
this Nation, which today begins to have a life of its own, in the conviction that he has been
the instrument chosen by God, in spite of his humble origin, to effectuate the redemption of
this unfortunate country as foretold by Dr. Don José Rizal in his magnificent verses which he
composed in his prison cell prior to his execution, liberating it from the Yoke of Spanish
domination,

And in punishment for the impunity with which the Government sanctioned the
commission of abuses by its officials, and for the unjust execution of Rizal and others who
were sacrificed in order to please the insatiable friars in their hydropical thirst for vengeance
against and extermination of all those who oppose their Machiavellian ends, trampling upon
the Penal Code of these Islands, and of those suspected persons arrested by the Chiefs of
Detachments at the instigation of the friars, without any form nor semblance of trial and
without any spiritual aid of our sacred Religion; and likewise, and for the same ends, eminent
Filipino priests, Doctor Don Jose Burgos, Don Mariano Gomez, and Don Jacinto Zamora
were hanged whose innocent blood was shed due to the intrigues of these so-called
Religious corporations which made the authorities to believe that the military uprising at the
fort of San Felipe in Cavite on the night of January 21, 1872 was instigated by those Filipino
martyrs, thereby impeding the execution of the decree-sentence issued by the Council of
State in the appeal in the administrative case interposed by the secular clergy against the
Royal Orders that directed that the parishes under them within the jurisdiction of this
Bishopric be turned over to the Recollects in exchange for those controlled by them in
Mindanao which were to be transferred to the Jesuits, thus revoking them completely and
ordering the return of those parishes, all of which proceedings are on file with the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to which they are sent last month of last year for the issuance of the proper
Royal Degree which, in turn, caused the growth of the tree of liberty in this our dear land that
grew more and more through the iniquitous measures of oppression, until the last drop from
our chalice of suffering having been drained, the first spark of revolution broke out in
Caloocan, spread out to Santamesa and continued its course to the adjoining regions of the
province where the unequalled heroism of its inhabitants fought a onesided battle against
superior forces of General Blanco and General Polavieja for a period of three months,
without proper arms nor ammunitions, except bolos, pointed bamboos, and arrows.

Moreover, we confer upon our famous Dictator Don Emilio Aguinaldo all the powers
necessary to enable him to discharge the duties of Government, including the prerogatives
of granting pardon and amnesty,

And, lastly, it was resolved unanimously that this Nation, already free and
independent as of this day, must use the same flag which up to now is being used, whose
design and colors are found described in the attached drawing, the white triangle signifying
the distinctive emblem of the famous Society of the "Katipunan" which by means of its blood
compact inspired the masses to rise in revolution; the three stars, signifying the three
principal Islands of this Archipelago-Luzon, Mindanao, and Panay where this revolutionary
movement started; the sun representing the gigantic steps made by the sons of the country
along the path of Progress and Civilization; the eight rays, signifying the eight provinces-
Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna, and Batangas - which
declared themselves in a state of war as soon as the first revolt was initiated; and the colors
of Blue, Red, and White, commemorating the flag of the United States of North America, as a
manifestation of our profound gratitude towards this Great Nation for its disinterested
protection which it lent us and continues lending us.
 And holding up this flag of ours, I present it to the gentlemen here assembled:

Don Segundo Arellano Don Gregorio Álvarez

Don Tiburcio del Rosario Don Sabas de Guzmán
Don Sergio Matias Don Esteban Francisco
Don Agapito Zialcita Don Guido Yaptinchay
Don Flaviano Alonzo Don Mariano Rianzares Bautista
Don Mariano Legazpi Don Francisco Arambulo
Don José Turiano Santiago y Acosta Don Antonio Gonzales
Don Aurelio Tolentino Don Juan Arevalo
Don Felix Ferrer Don Ramon Delfino
Don Felipe Buencamino Don Honorio Tiongco
Don Fernando Canon Faustino Don Francisco del Rosario
Don Anastacio Pinzun Don Epifanio Saguil
Don Timoteo Bernabe Don Ladislao Afable José
Don Flaviano Rodríguez Don Sixto Roldan
Don Gavino Masancay Don Luis de Lara
Don Narciso Mayuga Don Marcelo Basa
Don Gregorio Villa Don José Medina
Don Luis Pérez Tagle Don Epifanio Crisia
Don Canuto Celestino Don Pastor López de León
Don Marcos Jocson Don Mariano de los Santos
Don Martin de los Reyes Don Santiago García
Don Ciriaco Bausa Don Claudio Tria Tirona
Don Manuel Santos Don Estanislao Tria Tirona
Don Mariano Toribio Don Daniel Tria Tirona
Don Gabriel Reyes Don Andrés Tria Tirona
Don Hugo Lim Don Carlos Tria Tirona
Don Emiliano Lim Don Sulpicio P. Antony
Don Fausto Tinorio Don Epitacio Asunción
Don Rosendo Simón Don Catalino Ramon
Don Leon Tanjanque Don Juan Bordador
Don Gregorio Bonifacio Don José del Rosario
Don Manuel Salafranca Don Proceso Pulido
Don Simon Villareal Don José María del Rosario
Don Calixto Lara Don Ramón Magcamco
Don Buenaventura Toribio Don Antonio Calingo
Don Zacarias Fajardo Don Pedro Mendiola
Don Florencio Manalo Don Estanislao Calingo
Don Ramon Gana Don Numeriano Castillo
Don Marcelino Gómez Don Federico Tomacruz
Don Valentin Polintan Don Teodoro Yatco
Don Felix Polintan Don Ladislao Diwa,
Don Evaristo Dimalanta
 Who solemnly swear to recognize and defend it unto the last drop of their blood:

In witness thereof, I certify that this Act of Declaration of Independence was signed
by me and by all those here assembled including the only stranger who attended those
proceedings, a citizen of the U.S.A., Mr. L. M. Johnson, a Colonel of Artillery.

Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista

War Counselor and Special Delegate-Designate

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Philippine_Declaration_of_Independence (Date accessed: July 4,

2020)